More Moyes misery as Herrera plays down lure of United deal September 4, 2013 MANCHESTER United transfer target Ander Herrera insists he was undecided about joining the Premier League champions before his proposed deadline day move from Athletic Bilbao collapsed. Herrera’s doomed transfer was one of a number of summer deals United failed to pull off, prompting fans to raise concerns that the departure of manager Sir Alex Ferguson [...]
Against the Grain: It’s official: Why the statistics show even England could win the World Cup September 3, 2013 AUTUMN is fast approaching, and the focus of the nation’s sporting interest is switching. No sooner have our boys humiliated the Australians at cricket than a new challenge emerges in the shape of two important qualifying games for the football World Cup. The comedian Bob Doolally articulated the views of many when he said: “If [...]
Arsenal spend at last and spark 12-fold increase in shirt sales September 3, 2013 ARSENAL reported an enormous spike in sales of replica shirts yesterday as fans flocked to celebrate the club record signing of Mesut Ozil. Sales of shirts via the club’s online store were 12 times higher than normal, a Gunners spokesperson said, while retail outlets at the stadium also reported huge interest, with the overwhelming majority [...]
Football Comment: Mourinho arms his rivals’ rivals with loan stars September 3, 2013 THE £30m signing of attacker Willian aside, it was not the players who arrived at Chelsea during the transfer window so much as the ones that they allowed to leave that interested me most. Of those who came in, the big-haired Brazilian is the most exciting and, I’m sure, eased Jose Mourinho’s hunger to lure [...]
Thrift out, £42m Ozil in at Arsenal September 2, 2013 ARSENAL last night abandoned years of thrift in spectacular fashion by spending almost three times their previous record fee on signing Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid. At the end of a transfer window in which England’s top clubs spent an unprecedented amount, the Gunners provided the story of the day by paying the [...]
Palace sign three but miss out on Bendtner September 2, 2013 PREMIER League newcomers Crystal Palace missed out on luring Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner to Selhurst Park on deadline day but bolstered their squad with three new faces to become the most active top-flight club of the summer transfer window. Manager Ian Holloway brought in a total of 14 new players, with defenders Adrian Mariappa and [...]
Football’s big spenders get ready for a final day’s shopping September 1, 2013 THE countdown to the football transfer deadline, which is at 23.00 tonight, promises much in terms of excitement and intrigue. Fuelled by a massive increase in broadcast revenues – Premier League clubs will share out £1.6bn, compared to £1.06bn last year – the country’s wealthiest owners are falling over each other to add to their [...]
Premier League: Suarez speculation brings best out in Giroud September 1, 2013 AT EMIRATES STADIUM ARSENAL 1 vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger believes a summer of speculation linking Liverpool striker Luis Suarez with a £40m move to the Emirates Stadium has helped north London derby match-winner Olivier Giroud find his best form. The France star scored his fourth goal of the season in yesterday’s [...]
Premier League: Rodgers: Win shows that we can beat the big boys this season September 1, 2013 LIVERPOOL 1 vs MANCHESTER UNITED 0 LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers believes his team has the confidence to beat the Premier League’s top sides this season, after the Reds extended their 100 per cent start to the season against champions Manchester United. A fourth minute goal from birthday boy Daniel Sturridge, who turned 24 yesterday, was [...]
West Brom sink to the bottom September 1, 2013 WEST BROM slumped to the foot of the Premier League table last night, after goals from Ben Davies and Pablo Hernandez earned Swansea a 2-0 win at the Hawthorns. Davies scored his second goal for the club with a thunderous volley on 22 minutes and Hernandez wrapped up the visitors’ first win of the season [...]